RoadVitals

1986 Chevrolet Nova

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Aug 19, 1999
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Chevrolet Nova, most frequently naming the engine, fuel system and seat belts categories.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine125.0%
  • Fuel system125.0%
  • Seat belts125.0%
  • Steering125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Seat belts
Filed Aug 19, 1999
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN REAR END ACCIDENT. SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT WINDSHIELD. *AK

NHTSA ID
845447
Fuel system
Filed Mar 26, 1996

FUEL TANK REPLACED 2 TIMES DUE TO GASOLINE LEAKING FROM SEAM. *SD

NHTSA ID
502837
Incident
Jun 14, 1993
Engine
Filed Jun 7, 1995

LOUD WHINING NOISE IS HEARD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

NHTSA ID
966416
Incident
May 15, 1995
Steering
Filed Jan 24, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS NOT EXCEEDING 20MPH VEHICLE BEGAN SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND CAR BEING TOTALED. TT

NHTSA ID
959104
Incident
Jan 17, 1995

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Nova by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1990100—
1988110046.6
1987150039.4
1986Viewing400—
1984100—
1979010—
1978020—
1977040—
1975040—
1974040—
1973040—
1972010—
1971010—
1969020—
1968010—
1967010—
1966010—
1965010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.